If Men’s College Basketball fans were looking for something to keep them warm on a cold, chilly Saturday across most of the United States, then they’re in luck.
Between top-ranked Arizona facing West Virginia, No. 11 Illinois clashing with No. 4 Purdue, the No. 6-ranked Houston Cougars battling the No. 12-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders, and No. 22 North Carolina duking it out against No. 14 Virginia, Saturday’s schedule is packed.
Top 5 Men’s College Basketball Games to Watch in Saturday’s Action
Besides a lot of top-ranked teams in action, the men’s schedule for Saturday also features a sweet interstate rivalry game between No. 19 Kansas against Kansas State. So, here are five games to get ready for and enjoy on a chilly Saturday across much of the United States.
1) No. 11 Illinois vs No. 4 Purdue
Location: Mackey Arena, West Lafayette, IN
Time: 3 p.m. ET
TV/Streaming: Fox
Illinois rolls into this clash with the Boilermakers with a 16-3 overall record, 7-1 in Big Ten Conference play. Right now, the Fighting Illini are tied with Michigan State and Purdue for second place in the conference standings.
Now, what about Purdue? The Boilermakers are 17-2 overall, also 7-1 in Big Ten play. This ought to be a solid game, with both teams looking to get an edge in conference action.
2) No. 6 Houston vs No. 12 Texas Tech
Location: United Supermarkets Arena, Lubbock, TX
Time:Â 2 p.m. ET
TV/Streaming: ESPN
If you’re looking for a Big 12 Conference showdown on Saturday, then take a peek in on this one from the high plains of Lubbock, Texas. The sixth-ranked Cougars roll into Lubbock with a 17-1 overall record, 5-0 in Big 12 play.
Entering Saturday’s action, Houston is just one-half game behind the top-ranked Arizona Wildcats, who are 6-0 in conference action. As for Texas Tech, the Red Raiders are 15-4 overall, 5-1 in Big 12 play, and one full game behind Arizona in the conference standings.
3) No. 22 North Carolina vs No. 14 Virginia
Location: John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville, VA
Time: Noon ET
TV/Streaming: ESPN2
Well, what more needs to be said about this clash? The Tar Heels and Cavaliers always bring their “A” games to the court. As for North Carolina, it is 15-4 overall but 3-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings. Entering Saturday’s clash, Virginia is 16-2 overall, 5-1 in conference play, and one game behind first-place Duke in the ACC standings.
4) West Virginia vs No. 1 Arizona
Location: McKale Memorial Center, Tucson, AZ
Time: 2 p.m. ET
TV/Streaming: CBS
The top-ranked Wildcats, led by Koa Peat, are 19-0 overall and 6-0 in Big 12 Conference play. Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd looks to keep their perfect start intact in a home game in Tucson, Ariz. As for the Mountaineers, they’re 13-6 overall, 4-2 in Big 12 play, and two games behind the conference-leading Wildcats at this time.
5) Villanova vs. No. 2 UConn
Location: PeoplesBank Arena, Hartford, CT
Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
TV/Streaming:Â Fox
Don’t sleep on this game; it might be a sneaky-good matchup on Saturday. The No. 2-ranked Huskies are 18-1 overall and a perfect 8-0 in Big East Conference action. As for Villanova’s Wildcats, they are 15-4 overall and 6-2 in Big East play, just two games behind front-running Connecticut.
